Thrice Charmed
by Pie for President '16
Summary: Ruthie never expected to hear from him or see him ever again when he suddenly up and left all those years ago. One day, he walks back into her life and everything is different between them. Second chapter revised April 28th. IN PROGRESs.
1. Chapter 1

There's going to be mention of drugs. Drinking occurs in this chapter. Lots of cussing. Enjoy!

I don't own 7th Heaven. I wish I did, but unfortunately I don't! :(

* * *

Twenty-one year old Ruthie Camden was putting on the final touches of her makeup when her roommate burst in the bathroom.

"Come _on_, Ruthie! I've been ready to go forever!"

Ruthie rolled her eyes and continued applying the last of her mascara. Once she was done and closed her case, she turned around to look at her roommate.

"I have to look my best, KC. So..." Ruthie smirked and did a twirl. "What do you think?"

"You look fantastic, now come on! We're going to be _so_ late, the club will probably be closed when we get there! We still have to pick up Michelle!"

Ruthie grabbed her purse as KC pulled dragged her out the door of their apartment.

"Tonight's going to be a blast. We can _finally_ take Chelly to the club!"

Ruthie laughed and looked at her roommate.

"You know what I mean, without getting us in trouble!"

Ruthie smiled and turned on the radio.

"Oh, my gosh! I _love_ this song!" KC squealed as Nickelback's _Photograph_ came on.

"It's about a dude who realizes he spent all his life cracking it up and wishes he can take those years back, you know that right?"

KC shrugged and began signing along.

"_Every time I look at this photograph, every time it makes me laugh._"

"Do me a favor, and do not sing that at the karaoke stand tonight!"

"I can do what I want!" KC shouted in between the lyrics.

Ruthie rolled her eyes and began humming, trying her best to block out KC's singing.

The song was just about ending when they pulled up the drive where their best friend, Michelle, lived with her two cousins and aunt. She had no siblings, her mother died when she was really young and her dad didn't want anything to do with her. Her aunt, Michelle's mother's sister, took her in.

A tall Latino with long, wavy, black hair made her way towards the car, waving to Ruthie and KC as they got out of the car.

"Hey, guys!" The girl called out as she approached them.

"Hey, Tammy. Where's Michelle? She's not ready?"

The teenager shook her head.

"Not exactly."

Ruthie laughed and looked at her friend, smirking.

"We're early!"

"Actually, you guys were so late, Michelle looked in the mirror and thought she looked shitty for the night out. So.." Tammy shrugged.

"Ah, so we're _late_!" KC nudged Ruthie. Tammy laughed.

"You look really nice, Ruthie. Dress up to show someone you're _so_ over him?" Tammy smirked and winked.

Ruthie smiled and shrugged.

"Maybe."

"Have fun tonight. You deserve it, it's not only Michelle's night, you know."

"Thanks. We would've invited you, but I don't think your mom would be too happy to hear you're going to a club."

Tammy rolled her eyes.

"I know, sucks. But if you see any cute guys, please bring him home for me?"

KC and Ruthie looked at one another and back to the girl.

"I really need a date for the prom, it's less than a month away. I _can't_ go to my prom dateless!"

"We'll see what we can do." KC smiled.

The front door opened and another Latino walked out, a little shorter than Tammy and with hair a lighter black/brown and wavier.

"About time you got here!" The woman called as she got to her friends.

"Don't look at me!" KC stepped back. "It's all Ruthie's fault."

Michelle laughed.

"It's okay, really. Come on, let's go." Michelle said, opening the back door and throwing in her bag. "Tell Aunt Marian good night and I will be staying over at Ruthie and KC's. She already knows, but in case she forgets."

"I will. Have fun!" Tammy waved at her cousin and her cousin's friends, then headed back into the house once the young women were all in the car and backing out of the drive.

----------

"So, karaoke is at one, I already called and put our names on the list." KC said as they got in line to enter the club.

"What are you going to sing, Chelly?" Ruthie asked as she pulled her wallet out of her purse.

Michelle shrugged.

"Not sure. I suck at singing!" She laughed as she took her license from her purse.

"We all suck! That's what karaoke is all about, crappy voices singing alone to songs!" KC giggled as she showed the doorman her ID.

He motioned her in, followed by Ruthie. KC turned 21 back in November and Ruthie at the end of December.

"Happy birthday." The two women heard the doorman said as he let Michelle in the club.

"Wow, this is _wild_." Michelle gaped as she looked around the spacious club. Off to their left, in the distance, was a stage. Currently, a band was playing, she'd never even heard of them. In front, was a dance floor, people were swarming around, chatting on the outside edge of the floor and dancing in the center of the floor. Back past that, towards their direct sight, was a whole bunch of tables with different colored lights hanging above them. Off to their right, were arcade games, a table hockey table and a pool table. Behind the games was a bar with a whole bunch of chairs and stools around it. On both corners of the wall, one above the bar and the other above the games, were wide-screen televisions.

Ruthie and KC smiled and motioned Michelle to follow them to the bar.

"Happy birthday!"

"This is so _awesome_!" Michelle went ahead of KC and Ruthie to the bar. KC stopped Ruthie before they could catch up.

"Don't look, but Josh is here."

Ruthie turned to her left and saw her ex-boyfriend, Joshua, conversing with a couple other guys at the edge of the dance floor. She rolled her eyes and looked back at KC.

"Screw him. Let's go."

KC giggled and the two caught up with their friend.

"So, who's going to buy the drinks?" Michelle asked once they'd been sitting at the bar for about ten minutes.

"We will, it's on us!" KC smiled and waved for the bartender.

"What can I get you girls?" The curly haired bartender asked, his slight Australian accent coming through.

"Well, we are here for my friend's birthday. She's twenty-one today." KC put a hand on Michelle's shoulder and did a pat.

"Ay, Happy Bir'day." The bartender smiled. "It's on the house. An'thin you want."

"Uh, we'll have your most expensive champagne. Mix it with the _best_ spirits you've got." Michelle smirked and looked at her friends.

"What? It's on the house!" She said defensively. The three girls laughed as the bartender went to get their drinks.

"I'm going to sing _Rockstar_." Michelle said, crossing her arms and placing them on the counter.

Ruthie rolled her eyes and laughed.

"We're so pathetic!"

"No, we're _Chad's Girls_, Ruth." KC said seriously, then burst out laughing.

"What happened to the Power of Three?" Ruthie asked. She hated being called _Chad's Girl_, it made her sound like a whore and Chad Kroeger a pimp.

"That's _so_ yesterday!" KC argued.

"But it makes sense, we are in San Francisco, where the Charmed ones live!"

"Actually," Michelle started, "we're in Modesto. San Francisco is an hour away."

"So, does it really matter where we are? If we lived in Siberia, we'd still be the Charmed ones!"

"Wait, I thought you said we were _Power of Three_?" KC looked back at Ruthie, who shrugged.

"It's the same thing!"

The three girls began arguing, not realizing the bartender had handed them several small shot glasses with select alcohol bottles.

"Oy, mates." The bartender called. The three girls looked at him, all annoyed. "Oy, don't shoot me, just say'n y'ur drinks a' here!"

Michelle smiled.

"Thanks."

"Need an'thin' else, lem'e know."

"We will, thanks!" KC shouted as she opened one of the bottle and began pouring. Once the three shot glasses had been filled, the girls lifted their bottles and paused.

"So, what should we say?" Ruthie looked at her friends.

"To Michelle, have a bitchin' birthday!" KC sloshed her drink, spilling some on her. The girls laughed before raising their glasses and cheered.

"To a bitchin' birthday, for one sick bitch." Ruthie and KC shouted as they and Michelle took a drink. Michelle gagged and coughed.

"Whoa, this is fucking strong." She laughed.

KC snorted.

"Hey, you asked for it."

"Yeah, I know," Michelle smirked. The three girls began laughing and talking, the atmosphere around the trio calm and relaxed.

-----------

After two hours and two dozen shots later, the three girls have moved to a table near the dance floor.

"This is bitchin'!" Michelle slurred. Ruthie and KC burst out laughing.

The band currently playing thanked the club for having them and bid good night.

"Ooh, karaoke soon!" KC clapped.

"Come up with a better song yet?" Ruthie asked.

"Nah, why can't you just let me sing that song! It rocks!"

Ruthie snorted.

"Sure, if you're a druggy who let thirty years go by before realizing how much he fucked up at life!"

KC laughed, babbling to herself.

"She's wasted." Ruthie laughed. Her two friends had about eight or nine more shots than her. After all, someone had to bring them home _alive_ and Ruthie was always the one to do so.

"You're not drunk enough!!" Michelle laughed.

"I don't want to make a fool of myself in public, thank you very much."

"Hey, Chelle." A voice came from behind KC and Ruthie.

The three girls turned around and saw Josh, Ruthie's ex-boyfriend.

"Uh, just wanted to say happy birthday."

Michelle forced a smile and nodded.

"Thanks."

"Well, I should get going. Bye." He said, avoiding looking at Ruthie.

"Ok, _bye_!" KC said and looked at Ruthie, rolling her eyes.

She waited until Josh was gone before speaking.

"What a hole."

"You _so_ don't deserve him, Ruthie!" Michelle shouted.

"Give me that bottle." Ruthie ordered KC.

"Really?"

"Yes, really!" Ruthie banged a fist on the table. KC and Michelle jumped, both reaching for the bottle and handing it to Ruthie together.

She unscrewed the cover and drank for it.

"Oh, ew!"

"That is so disgusting!" Michelle yelled.

Ruthie put the bottle down and gasped.

"You make a crappy drunk, Chelly."

"What?"

"You're _too_ loud."

KC laughed.

Before Michelle had a chance to argue, the club's co-owner came up on the stage and announced that karaoke was starting.

"Whoo!" KC shouted. "We're going on separately first, I'm going to be fourth. Ruthie, you're the fifth and Michelle's the sixth! We're going to be together for one of the finale performances!"

The girls applauded as the first person was called. The guy sung a song by Maroon 5. The next singer, a young woman, sung a song by Hilary Duff.

"Ugh, no more of that teeny bop crap." Michelle gagged.

Ruthie and KC laughed.

"Ditto."

The third singer was also a woman and she sung a song by Kelly Clarkson.

"She was good!" KC said and whooped as the woman got off the stage.

KC stood as she got called up on stage.

"Please, don't sing it!" Ruthie begged to her friend as she walked away.

"I'm not, trust me!" KC walked away and walked past the dance floor and up to the stage.

"I don't trust her." Ruthie said to Michelle as they sat back and watched KC open up.

Surprisingly, she didn't sing _Photograph_ by Nickleback. Instead, she sung a song by Sara Barielles, called Love Song.

"Wow, that was good." Ruthie nodded. A minute later, KC joined them at the table and Ruthie got up.

"So?"

"Didn't know you had taste like that!" Ruthie admitted and laughed, then walked away to the stage.

Ruthie had decided on the song _Over It_ by Katherine McPhee, which was a good song in her opinion. It had nothing to do with her and Josh's break-up but her friends were never going to let her forget it.

She finished the song on a soft note, tears unknowingly running down her eyes. She did a short bow and walked off the stage.

"Don't say it." She told her friends as she joined them at the table.

KC gave Ruthie a hug and Michelle gave her a pat as she got up and headed to the stage.

Ruthie concentrated on Michelle singing up on the stage and did her best to ignore KC's glances at her. Eventually, her friend stopped looking back and applauded as Michelle ended her song and began to walk back towards them.

"Great job!" KC commented.

"Yeah, you were really good up there." Ruthie seconded her friend.

"Thanks, guys, I wasn't sure how I'd be." Michelle bit her lip and sat back down.

"You had nothing to worry about! Let's have another toast." KC said, pouring the glasses and handing them off to Ruthie and Michelle before taking her own.

"To everything!" The three women emptied their glasses and began talking until they went up on the stage together.

And their turn eventually came, close to two hours later.

"And now, I present you our opener for the finale, _Chad's Girls_!" The club co-owner announced.

Ruthie glared at KC. Instead of defending herself, KC stood and grabbed Ruthie, the two leading the way to the stage with Michelle following behind.

The girls got up on stage, Ruthie still pissed off with KC. The musical instruments to a song began playing over the speakers.

Michelle pushed Ruthie playfully and began jumping up and down. Ruthie couldn't help but laugh. For someone with such a bad past, Michelle was such an easy going and easy spirited person.

The girls sang and danced to Nickleback's _Rockstar_, having a blast and dancing with one another up on the stage. One the song finally came to an end, the three waved and bowed. walking off the stage after handing back the mics.

"That was so much fun!" Ruthie shouted over the still on-going applause.

She put her arms over her friends' shoulders and the three headed back to their table.

They had just begun talking about how it was time to leave when an interruption came.

"Excuse me." A male voice said. KC and Michelle looked up, Ruthie was looking through her pocketbook for money.

"How can we help?" KC asked politely.

"I believe Ruthie Camden is here."

Ruthie looked up at the mention of her name and gasped.

* * *

A CLIFFIE!! I am so cold! :O As if you guys didn't know that already. *cowers*


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the second chapter. I don't come right out and say who it is. But if you're smart enough, you'll figure it out.

I had two versions for this second chapter. This version, the second one, is _obviously_ better because otherwise I wouldn't put it up. It ran for some extra 1,650 words more than the other! :D

Unbetaed, because I don't want to waste **November21**'s time if this doesn't go well. Thanks for your awesome words, though, **November21**! :D

* * *

Ruthie spent the next three weeks studying for her last finals _ever_ and now she only had one final left before she could become a college graduate with a master's degree in education. She was going to teach high school science, but she also wanted a background in psychology and she would be heading back to Southern California to accomplish it.

KC looked up from her foreign language textbook when Ruthie cleared her throat.

"You leaving?"

Ruthie nodded and smiled, sitting down next to her best friend.

"How do I look."

"You look fine! It's not a date and you're dressed casually," KC shrugged. "Relax, you need to stop thinking too much!"

"Oh, I know." Ruthie sighed. "It's just that I haven't seen him in so many years and now I'm going to be spending the night out with him."

"Just breathe, you'll be fine. Be who you are _now_, not who you were _back then_."

Ruthie nodded and took a deep breath, then exhaled.

"Right. Thanks, Kace. I don't know what I'd do without you." Ruthie frowned and hugged KC suddenly. KC smiled and returned the hug.

"Without me you'd be _hopelessly_ lost."

"Jeez, thanks!" Ruthie said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. The two laughed, pulling apart.

"I can't believe we separate in a week and half!"

"We've had good times here. Have I ever thanked you for being my first friend here?"

KC frowned.

"No, as a matter of fact, you never did." Ruthie glared at her and KC smirked. "You have to come out East to visit!"

"Definitely, half my family is out there! I'll be seeing you, and how about you coming back out here?"

"Of course, as if I could _ever_ forget you and Michelle!"

Ruthie smiled and the young women shared another hug. At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

"Well, I gotta go, don't tire yourself out." Ruthie told KC as she stood and slung her purse over her shoulder.

"And don't stay out too late."

"I won't." Ruthie smiled and walked to the door, opening it.

"Hey, ready to go?"

Ruthie nodded and turned back to KC, who indicated inhalation and exhalation with her hands.

"Thanks." Ruthie said silently as she stepped out and shut the door behind her.

KC laughed to herself and went back to studying,

* * *

"I really appreciate your patience these past couple weeks." Ruthie apologized as they approached the diner that was just around the corner from her and KC's apartment.

"It's no problem, I completely understand. I like that you put school before guys, I knew you'd turn out that way." He smiled, holding the door open for her.

Ruthie just smiled and nodded, trying her best not to open her mouth. Instead she nodded a thanks and the pair headed for a vacant table.

After fifteen minutes, they'd just gotten their order and Ruthie was pushing the piece of chicken around the plate.

"You going to eat that?"

Ruthie looked up.

"Huh?" She looked down at her plate, she hadn't taken a bite of her dinner yet.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking."

"Mind if I ask what about?"

"My feelings: I should be hating you, I should be yelling and throwing things at you, not giving a shit about humiliating myself because I want you to know how I felt all those years ago when you just.. _left_. But," Ruthie paused, shrugged, "instead I have a million questions."

He nodded in understanding.

"Ask away."

Ruthie sighed, pushing her plate away. She wasn't really that hungry, she wanted to talk until she lost her voice. She wanted to know so much and say so much. She refused to lose any more time with him than she already had.

"Why did you leave so suddenly? You said you'd be around for a while, but it was like, one day I wake up and you're.. _gone_. I never see you or hear from you again until just a couple weeks ago. Do you realize how many years have passed?"

He let out a sigh.

"I didn't mean to leave so suddenly. Believe me, I wanted to stay in Glen Oak, your family helped me out a lot and I felt incredibly guilty for having to leave immediately. Your parents knew I was going, but I asked them not to say anything. I thought it would be for the best if everyone just forgot about me, especially you."

Ruthie shook her head in disbelief.

"How could you say that?" She asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Everyone seemed to be the shell of the person they once were, and then there were some major shifting and changes. I felt out of place, I knew my time in Glen Oak was over. So I packed up and moved in with my brother back East, where I should have been."

"Were you scared?"

"Hell, yeah, very scared. I was scared to be out on my own, I was never really on my own before. I went from living with my mom to moving in with you guys. I didn't know anyone back east and I had to start all over. I was scared you or Simon wouldn't understand, despite you two not being the Ruthie and Simon I once knew. I was afraid you'd never forgive me and neither would Simon. I was scared that everyone would forget me, even though I wanted them to. I was scared of losing the only family I'd ever known. But I felt like I had to, I knew I had to be with my _real_ family. I had to be with my brothers and mom.

"How are they? Your brothers and mom, I mean."

"My mom died a couple years ago from lung cancer, and she already had a bad respiratory system."

He nodded, remaining silent for a minute before speaking again.

"My brothers are doing pretty good, one of them is in a band and the other owns a night club."

"That's pretty awesome!" Ruthie beamed. "How about you?"

"Well, I'm still back east but I'm here for the spring to help out with a youth organization. They're short a worker, she's on maternity leave for two months, so I'm taking her place until she gets back."

"So, you do the same thing in Florida?"

He nodded, taking a sip of his soda.

"Yeah, I've been working at this job for, oh, let's see... Five years or so. Before that, I worked at an early childhood center. I felt pretty restricted there, though, so I changed jobs.

"That's excellent! I think kids should be given opportunities no matter what, you're doing a great thing."

"Thanks, and how about you?"

"Oh," Ruthie laughed, "just me or my whole family?"

"Let's start with you, junior in college?"

"Senior," Ruthie corrected, "I skipped a grade, my senior year in high school. I decided to come to school here, it's far from my family and yet not that far. Simon likes an hour away, so I didn't go _completely_ out on my own."

"Congratulations, what's your major?"

"Thanks," Ruthie smiled, her voice quiet. "I'm going to be teaching high school science, but I want to have a background in psychology so I'll be heading back to Glen Oak to attend school near LA."

"Good luck, I know you'll be able to do it."

"Thanks, again." Ruthie could feel heat rushing up her cheeks. She broke his gaze and looked down at her plate, cutting off a piece of chicken and taking a bite.

They had reached a dead end and Ruthie tried to think of what to ask now, but he beat her to it.

"So, your family, how are they these days?

Ruthie took a sip of her soda and sighed, shaking her head and smiled.

"Nine years, you think I can catch you up _nine_ years in just one night?"

He shrugged.

"Why don't you give it a try?"

Ruthie laughed.

"Well, Matt's about to finish medical school. He and Sarah have two children and Sarah's pregnant. They're going to be coming here for my graduation in two weeks, so you'll get to see them then."

"Oh, no. I don't think that's really the right time for me to show back up in your family's lives. I'll come by for a visit before I head back east next month.

Ruthie frowned.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's supposed to be _your_ big day, I don't want to spoil it or take the attention off you."

Ruthie was quiet for a minute, thinking deeply.

"You have a good point. So, I should prepare you for who will be there when you visit."

They laugh.

"Matt and Sarah's children, Eliana and Liora, are four. They're twins. Next, we've got Mary and Carlos, Mary met him after she moved to New York."

Ruthie paused here.

"Yeah, I remember her telling me she wanted to move to New York."

"Anyways, she and Carlos have three children: Charlie's six, Linda and Sophia are four. They're twins as well.

He laughed.

"That's a lot of twins!"

Ruthie rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Yeah, I know, it's crazy. You remember Cecilia, don't you?"

He thought for a couple seconds before nodding.

"Yeah, I saw her a couple years ago, but we didn't get to talk. She didn't really remember me. Simon's girlfriend, right?"

"Yep, she and Simon are married. Well, they divorced but they got married again last year. Simon felt like he rushed into elopement with Cecilia and wanted to see if they'd work out first. Cecilia's having a girl, she's supposed to be born in a couple weeks."

His jaws dropped at the news of Simon eloping.

"Simon _eloped_."

"Yeah, and so did Mary."

"Wow. So, anyways, that's great for Simon and Cecilia."

"I know! I'm going to have a million nieces and nephews!" Ruthie giggled and, once a minute passed, continued.

"I'm not sure whether or not you'll like this." Ruthie said nervously.

"Lucy? She married Kevin?"

Ruthie didn't say anything.

"Hey, that's cool, I'm happy to hear she finally grounded herself enough for marriage. Kevin is a good guy, I know we might have hated each other but I saw he was good for Lucy."

"Really? I thought you'd totally flip."

He shrugged.

"Nah, like I said, everyone was changing. Whether it was for the better or worse, I didn't know and didn't expect to find out, but I knew Lucy would end up with Kevin. I'm happy for her. So, when did they get married?"

"They just had their eighth anniversary last week, Mary and Carlos have their eighth the day after tomorrow, Simon and Cecilia's original anniversary was last month, four years."

"Children, Lucy and Kevin?"

"Yup, two girls and one boy. Savannah's six, Katie just turned three and Nicholas is one."

"Cool, and how are your parents?"

"They're doing the best they can, my mom was diagnosed with leukemia last year."

"Oh. I'm really sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, she has been receiving treatment for a while but she's getting tired of it. Doctors says she has a year or so left."

"Wow, and how is your dad taking it?"

Ruthie shrugged.

"He's worried, but most of all he's scared he'll wake up one day and learn my mom's gone. He left the church earlier this year so he could spend more time with her."

"That sucks, how are your brothers and sisters taking it?"

"They try to come out as often as they can. Matt is moving back for the summer with Sarah, Mary and Carlos are going to stay for as long as they're needed, Lucy and Kevin are still in Glen Oak, Simon and Cecilia will be flying out as often as possible."

"That sounds good, and I'll be around if she needs me, you know?"

Ruthie smiled.

"She'll appreciate that, really."

"So, how about David and Sam?"

"They're scared, but they know what's going on." Ruthie paused and let out a laugh. "I forgot all about them!"

He let out a chuckle.

"Don't worry about it, they're forgettable. Don't tell them I said that."

"Only if you don't tell them I forgot about them."

"Deal."

Ruthie laughed and he joined in. After a couple seconds, they settled down.

"Well, they're in the seventh grade, but not at the school Matt, Mary, Lucy, Simon and I attended. They go to a private school half an hour from home."

"They like it?"

"Yeah, they love it. They're the only ones at home now and being at the school, they actually get to have a life with people a _lot_ closer to their age.

"That's good."

Ruthie nodded, smiling.

They continued talking for another hour and half before Ruthie decided it was time to head back to her apartment.

"I had a good time tonight."

"So did I. My last final is on Thursday, so I guess I'll talk to you after that." Ruthie said as she pulled her keys out of her purse.

"Sure, talk to you then. Night." He waved and turned towards his car.

"Night." Ruthie called back, opening the door of her apartment building.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's chapter 3, which was originally 5 and part of 6, 5 turned into 4 while 4 turned into 3, then I made the second chapter 4 3 and the other two 3's were deleted. Make sense? No? I don't expect it to. But all that took approximately six months to the day.

* * *

The Camden house was getting to be pretty crowded. Matt and Sarah were already in Glen Oak with their children, fortunately, though, the growing family would be staying with Sarah's parents during the summer. Mary and Carlos were staying in the garage apartment while their children were in the house sleeping in the spare room. Lucy and Kevin moved to a bigger house across town, which they bought when Lucy was pregnant with Nicholas. Simon and Cecilia would be staying in Simon's old room. David and Sam still had their room while Ruthie had the attic room all to herself.

Ruthie was watching a rerun of _Ellen_ when she heard the front door open and close. A minute later, she saw one of her two youngest brothers sit on the couch across from her.

"Hey, Dave. How was school?"

The young teen shrugs.

"It was alright. Last day of school."

Ruthie raised a brow.

"Just alright? Where's Sam?"

David shrugs again.

"I dunno, kitchen probably. Whatever."

Ruthie shut the television off and turned herself so she was facing David.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing, it doesn't really matter."

"Well, you seem pretty upset. What's wrong?"

David shook his head.

"I need a sibling, not a psychologist. Alright?"

Ruthie stood and joined her brother on the couch.

"I'm here as your sister. So, start talking."

David sighed.

"You know Rylee?"

"Yeah, you've spoken about her, why?"

"Sam asked her out on the trip to Riverside."

Ruthie frowned.

"And that's bad?"

"Yeah! I was gonna ask and then have her come over here when we got back!"

"Does Sam know that?"

David shrugs.

"Don't think so."

Ruthie smiled weakly.

"There you go, problem solved. You gotta be assertive, David. Sam didn't know you wanted to invite Rylee on the trip."

"But she's going to like him, and not me! I like her, Ruthie!"

"You don't know that, she could end up having a crappy time. It might be all awkward and boring."

David smiled slightly.

"You think so?"

Ruthie shrugged.

"You really can't be too sure of anything at twelve."

The second-to-last born Camden seemed to contemplate for a minute before nodding assertively and standing up.

"Thanks, I feel better."

Ruthie laughed.

"Glad I could help."

David left the room and Ruthie shook her head, smiling. She moved back to the other couch and put the television back on.

Ruthie was organizing her laundry in the kitchen while Lucy helped their mother with dinner.

"I don't want onions." Savannah declared suddenly from the kitchen table.

"Don't worry, there's not going to be any onions." Lucy told her daughter, smiling.

"I'm hungry," Katie pouted. "I wanna eat."

"You just had a snack, sweetie. You can wait for an hour."

"But I don't _wanna_ wait!" Katie cried, banging her hands on the counter."

"Katie, you stop or you won't get any dessert." Lucy warned.

Ruthie decided to intercept before things got out of hand.

"Katie, why don't you help me with the laundry?"

Katie turned to her aunt, pouting.

"Why?"

"It's fun. Come on, you can help me and before you know it, dinner will be here!"

"Hmmm," the three-year old thought loudly. "Okay."

Ruthie smiled and picked her niece off the barstool.

"Let's go to the living room."

"Okay!" Katie chirped happily, skipping past her mother and grandmother, through the hall and into the living room.

Ruthie laughed and grabbed her laundry basket.

"Thanks." Lucy said gratefully.

Ruthie smiled and made her way to the living room, where her niece was waiting eagerly.

"Throw it, Aunt Ruthie, throw it!"

"Throw what?" Ruthie tilted her head, putting on a confused expression but she knew what Katie was talking about. Nobody would ever dare fold laundry with her around, because she would unfold everything and throw article of clothing around. Sometimes she'd even bury herself in the pile of clothes.

"The clothes!"

Ruthie laughed and raised her laundry basket, gasping.

"Yeah!" Katie cheered as Ruthie tilted the basket and her clothes began falling upon her niece.

Katie let out a happy squeal as she got buried under the clothes.

"Everything ok in there?" Ruthie could hear her sister call from the kitchen.

"Yeah, everything's fine!" She called back.

Ruthie set her basket aside and knelt down, letting out a sigh.

"Hmm, where could Katie be?"

Giggling could be heard coming from the pile of clothes Ruthie had just washed.

"Well, I guess she disappeared!"

The giggling grew louder.

"That's too bad, I'm going to miss my favorite niece!" Ruthie cried dramatically.

Almost instantly, the pile of clothes exploded outwards and Katie threw her arms around her favorite aunt.

"I'm right here!"

Ruthie smiled and gave her niece a hug.

"Katie." Ruthie warned as she put the last pieces of clean clothes in the laundry basket half an hour later. She'd finally gotten her laundry done after blocking Katie from the pile of clothes.

The girl didn't seem to be listening though. Instead she eyed the clothes, trying to think of the best way to get herself covered by them.

Fortunately for her aunt, the door opened and Kevin walked in the foyer. Distracted by her father, Katie forgot all about the clothes and ran to greet her father.

"Daddy!"

Kevin shut the door behind him and picked up his youngest daughter, smiling.

"Have you been good?"

"Yup! And guess what."

"What?"

"I helped Aunt Ruthie with clothes."

Ruthie laughed and stood up, holding her laundry basket.

"Did you?"

The girl nodded, proud of herself.

"Yes, she did. Thanks, Katie." Ruthie ruffled her niece's hair, making her way past the father and daughter, and began to head up the stairs.

"Lucy's in the kitchen." She added before disappearing.

Ruthie was putting her clothes away when her cell phone rang. She looked at the called ID and smiled when she saw who it was, it was KC calling.

"Hey you."

"What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just putting away clothes, rest of the family going to be here soon. You?"

"My family is driving me _nuts_. Seriously, Ruth, I need to get away from here soon as possible!"

Ruthie sat on her bed.

"Welll, you know I'd invite you, but..."

"Yeah, yeah. When he's going to be there?"

"Tomorrow, meeting him at the bus stop."

"Does your family know?"

"Nope."

"Don't you think they should?"

Ruthie shrugged.

"They'll find out tomorrow. What's the big deal?"

"I don't know, won't they be mad? It's a family get-together, isn't that like, personal? You know, family only?"

"What do they have to be mad about? And he's practically family!"

"_Was_. Was practically family. He's been out of your lives for nine years."

"So? Look, I have to go. I can hear my brothers and sisters downstairs, think they just arrived with the kiddies."

Ruthie hung up before KC could say any more. She threw her phone on the bed and left her room, going downstairs.

The kitchen was now much more crowded than when Ruthie was last in the room. Matt, Sarah and their girls had just arrived from Sarah's parents'. Mary and Carlos were walking in the door, each holding one of their daughters, Charlie wasn't anywhere around.

"Aunt Ruthie!" A small voice cried and the young woman suddenly felt herself being pushed back into the counter. She looked down and laughed, her nieces had run over and given her a big hug.

"Hey, guys." Ruthie knelt down and held out her arms.

When she was done greeting the children, she went over and gave her brother and sister a hug.

"Where's Charlie?"

"Watching TV with Savannah, he ran ahead of us."

"When's dinner ready?" Katie asked from the table. "I'm hungry!"

"A couple minutes, sweetie." Lucy replied. "We have to wait for grandpa."

"Where's dad?" Ruthie asked, halfway out the house.

"He had to run an errand for me." Annie told her daughter.

"Oh, ok." Ruthie shrugged and continued making her way to the living room.

"Aunt Ruthie!" Charlie called when Ruthie entered the room.

"Hey." She joined him and Savannah on the couch. "How are you doing?"

"Good, we're watchin the movie Uncle Matt got for my birthday."

Ruthie looked up at the TV screen, some young Disney kids film was playing.

"Aren't you a bit old for this?"

Charlie shrugged.

"Savannah isn't."

"Hey!"

Ruthie laughed.

"I have something to tell you two. It has to stay between us though, its a secret. That means you guys can't tell anyone else."

"I love secrets!" Savannah clapped and turned so she was facing her aunt.

"Sure, what is it?" Charlie asked, now having his full attention on Ruthie.

"An old friend is visiting tomorrow. You don't know him, he was around before you were born."

"Why's that a secret?"

"It's a surprise. Everyone hasn't seen him for a _really_ long time."

"I won't tell, Aunt Ruthie!"

"Yeah, me neither." Charlie shrugged.

"Thanks, guys."

* * *

The next morning, Ruthie woke to her phone playing her ringtone, a song by Kelly Clarkson.

She picked it off her bedstand and looked at the screen. She smiled.

"Hello." The young woman answered, her voice full of sleep.

"Hey, did I wake you up?"

"Not really, it's time for me to get up anyways. You on your way?"

"I should be there early this afternoon, waiting for my flight."

"Alright, call when you get in. See you soon."

"I will, bye."

Ruthie hung up and placed her cell phone back on the bed stand, laying herself back down and shut her eyes. She had barely begun to drift off to sleep when she heard small voices calling her name.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw her nieces jumping up and down before her. Ruthie smiled sleepily and stretched.

"Aunt Ruthie!" The girl on the left cheered, the woman knew it was Sophia. She was the hyper one of the twins. Linda was the quieter one.

Ruthie pulled back the covers and sat up.

"What's up, guys?" She asked, holding out her arms for her nieces to give her a hug.

"We made breakfast!" Linda exclaimed.

"Yeah," Sophia pulled away, jumping up and down, "we helped mommy and Aunt Lucy!"

Ruthie smiled.

"Did you? I can't wait to try it! What did you girls make?"

"You've goitta come downstairs!"

"Yeah!"

"Lead the way, then!" Ruthie grabbed her bathrobe, putting it on, before following her nieces out of the attic and down the two flights of stairs.

Ruthie walked down the last steps of the kitchen following her nieces and saw that everyone seemed to be in the room except her father, Kevin, Matt, Sarah and their children. The last four would be arriving in the afternoon, they were at Sarah's parents.

"Morning everyone."

She was greeted by everyone as she sat at the table with Simon, Cecilia, Katie, and Lucy. Nicholas was in his high-chair.

Sophia took a plate from her mother and brought it to her aunt.

"Eat it!" the young girl beamed and sat at the vacant chair between her aunt and sister. Ruthie smiled and cut off a piece of the berry-pancake before taking a bite.

"Oh, mm, yummy!" Ruthie exclaimed, taking another bite.

"You like it, Aunt Ruthie?"

"Yeah, I love it! This is great, I think you girls will make great cooks." She smiled.

"Yay! D'ya hear that mommy?"

Mary laughed from the counter, where she stood behind Charlie and next to her mother.

"I sure did."

Ruthie shook her head, smiling fondly. Her nieces could be so adorable, which is why she enjoyed the rare visits they took to Glen Oak.

After ten minutes, Ruthie was done eating and brought her plate over to where her mother and eldest sister stood.

"I'll take that." Annie said, taking the plate from her daughter.

"I have an errand to run in a bit, when are we having lunch?"

"Kevin's working until three, so shortly after that." Lucy informed her sister, still sitting at the table.

"What errand?" Mary asked, clearing her daughters' plate.

"Oh, I just have to do something. It shouldn't take that long." Ruthie looked at her eldest niece and nephew, winking.

"You told Charlie and Savannah, but you can't tell us?"

"It's a surprise." Ruthie smirked, going upstairs.

Once in her room, she shut the door behind her and began organizing her room. She picked out clothes she'd be wearing for the day. As she was clearing her desk, her phone beeped, signalling she had messages. She walked over and saw she had five missed calls, all from KC.

Ruthie sighed and sat on her bed, flipping the phone open and dialing her best friend's number.

"What do you want?" KC's voiced snapped through the line after a couple rings.

"I'm really sorry about last night. I didn't mean to get pissy, I know you're just trying to think of the best of everything."

"It's a crazy time for your family, your brother's about to be a dad, your mom's sick, and who knows what else is up."

"I know that. But they know something's going on. I told Charlie and Savannah."

"You told Charlie and Savannah?"

"Yeah. That's not a problem, is it?" Ruthie asked pointedly.

"No." KC replied with a sigh. "So when are you going?"

"In a couple hours, he's on his way now."

"Let me know how it goes."

"I wish you were here, I want you to _actually_ meet him!"

"How long is he staying?"

"A couple days, I think."

"I'll think about it. I should go now, my sister's practically dragging me out the door. Going to a teeny bop concert tonight, ew."

Ruthie laughed.

"Hey, I can ask Mary to give you a buddy pass. Just say the word."

"No, I'll survive."

"Bye, talk to you later."

"Bye."

The women hung up.


End file.
